ORTOLAN.— BLACK-HEADED BUNTING. 121 



from improbable that some of those recorded as having been 

 taken in this county are escaped birds. 



On April 29th, 1841, a fine specimen, now in my collection, 

 was shot on the viaduct of the Brighton railway, close to the 

 town, and was recorded by me, Ann. Nat. Hist. vii. p. 524; 

 and a male was shot between Lancing and Worthing, April 

 27th, 1852 (Zoologist, p. 3476). Mr. G. W. Stephenson, 

 by whom it is recorded, mentions that wlien first observed, it 

 was seeking food on the beach by the road-side. It was 

 found to contain the remains of small beetles, principally a 

 species of Curculio. One of these birds was caught with bird- 

 lime on the Dyke Road, Brighton, in 1870, and was in the 

 dark brown plumage of the adult male in summer; this 

 specimen passed into my own collection. About the 5th of 

 May 187], one was got at Brighton, according to Mr. J. II. 

 Gurney, junr. (Zoologist, p. 2682, s. s.). A female was 

 obtained near Brighton, in February 1877, which came into 

 my possession. 



BLACK-HEADED BUNTING. 



Euspiza melanocephala. 



This species was first recorded as British, by Mr. Gould, in a 

 letter dated December 1st, 1868 (see ' Ibis ' for 1869, p. 128), 

 in these words : — " I have now to inform you of the occurrence 

 of Emberiza {Euspiza) melanocephala, of which a very fine 

 old female specimen in perfect plumage is now before me. 

 It was brought me by Mr. Robert Brazenor, of 23 Lewes 

 Road, Brighton, by whom it was shot about the 3rd of 

 November last, near Mr. Ballard^s windmill on Brighton 

 Race-course, while, as he stated, ' it was following a flock of 



